Bedclothes holder



' D 4, 934. I. J.. MATCHETT 1,982,998

BEDCLOTHES HOLDER Fig.2

I2 I C INVENTOR BY 17 J m/W ATTORNEY Dec. 4, 1934-. I. J. MATGHETT' BEDCLOTHE S HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 10, v1933 A TORNEY Patented Dec. 4, 1 934 BEDCLOTHES HOLDER Irven J. 9 Matchett, Methuen,.Mass.

Application April 10, 1933, Serial No. 665,317 7 v7 Claims. (c1. 24-425) This invention is a device for holding in place bedclothes such as blankets, sheets, spreads'etc. on the ordinary type of bed on which there is a mattress. I

I am aware that various expedients such as the use of safetypinsand various kinds of individual clamps, some of which are fastened to the foot board-have been used for the same purpose, but

the principal advantage of my device is that, without any fastening devices,.it or they can ,instantly be put in place in any ordinary bed as my devices are held or my. device is heldin place by-theweightof themattressg Other advantages are that in. the preferred form of my device there is asingle very wide holdingmouth formedby two wide jaws, one fixed and the other. movable. This mouth-can instantly be opeiied by the motion of oneior both hands applied to the movable jaw and the parts are so arranged that themouth will remain open with ample space for tucking in the bedclothes When I I the liedclothes. havebeen tucked or. rather when their ends have beenplaced in the mouth, the movable jaw can instantly be closed by another motion of the hands, The bedclothesar'firmly held in.place.u n til the jaw is again opened'l In the drawings Fig. l is a plan view showing.

partg of the lower endof a bejd of usual construc-. tion. r I I IFigQ2 isa plan view of the'bedclothes holder removed from the-bed and ,with the jaws closed.

Fig. 3 is .a vertical section of the bedclothes and bedclothesholder proper with a mattress and bed indicated diagramatically.-

Fig. 4 is a view similar to 3 .showing the bedclothes down between and caught by the jaws ofthe bedclothes holder. I

Fig. 5 is an isometric view of the preferred form of bracket and one of the springarms, one of the feetand part of the fixedjaw andlthe bar of the movable jaw being shown in dotted lines. 7 Fig. 6.=is ayertical section of a modified form of jaws inthe closed position. I

Fig. 7 isa vertical section of anotherform of jaws in the closed position.

Fig. 8 is an isometric viewof a modification of; acombination of holding bracket and spring arm. 9

- Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan view showing part of 1 the end andipart' of one of the sides of-a bed with'the device in position. i

1 In thedrawings, A represents the frame of, a bed. having afoot board 3 and springs or other flat part2 upon which rests the mattress M. This mattress; as'usual, has the sides such as 10, top

11,-bottom 12 which'rests on the part 2 andfoot end 13 which ordinarily approaches fairly close to the foot board 3. K represents the bedclothes.

I It is necessary that there should be some space between the mattress end 13 and the foot board 3, but the customary space is suflicient for my purpose. I

B represents a fixed jaw which is shown as a vertical wooden board: which is preferably not quite as high as the thickness of mattress M and is ofa length somewhat less than the width of-the mattress M.

Along the outsidenear the top of jaw B isan angular groove '20 which extends its entire length and is: preferably lined its entirelength with-felt padding 21, Groove 20 preferably isformed in a projection 22 so that there isa clear space 23 under 22in which any excess of the bedclothes such as K 'canbe placed. I C, C represent a pluralityv of flat feet each of whichis fixed at one end to the bottom of jaw Bso that each foot, when the device is in place, extends well under the mattress M between it and part 2 of the frame. These feet, therefore, hold the jaw B imposition.

The toe of each foot is preferably rounded as at 24 and25 and the top edge of each foot is beveled as at 26 or 27. I

F 9 represents a movable jaw which includes supporting arms S, S, preferably of the spring type, sucharms being fastened at-their bottom ends either to the ends of the feet C, C or the bottom of fixed jawB; or to both. I

As shown, the'part 30'is fastened to or is a part of oneofthe brackets such as D, D, and this part SOextends outward towards the foot board and is thence bent up at 31 terminating at the top in a loop 32 which carries-a one legged staple such as 33 passing into the back of .the pivoted part 34 of theujaw F. This pivoted part 34, as shown, is abar of wood and at the side'35 opposite the staples 33,33 is shaped to -fit into the groove'20 in jaw B. I

As shown in Fig. 4, the bar 34 should be of such. sizethatwhen-it engages the groove, such as20, of the fixed jaw, it will somewhat-stretch the spring parts of, or the springs associated with, arms S, S so that-the jaws will firmly grip the bedciothes, but when disengaged and thrown back, there will be plentyof room to push the bedclothes K down into an open mouth.

. At the ends, preferably, are provided the handles H, H which may readily be grasped by the hands of: the. operator to open or close the movable jaw F. When the mouth is opened by moving jaw F, it will stay open until the bedclothes K are properly placed and smoothed, upon which, by a single motion, the jaws are snapped together.

The preferred type of bar such as 34 which is the engaging member of the movable jaw is preferably formed from a cylindrical stick which maintains its curved form for about one hundred eighty'degrees, while" the other half has equal segments cut out whereby an angular projection or horizontal rib 35 is formed such rib preferably having a slightly rounded nose. This nose is diametrically opposite the staples 33.

At D, I show a preferred form of sheet metal bracket for attaching each foot C'to jaw B andjaw B to jaw F.

50 is the base which may have a nail hole 53;

and 51, 52, are side ears and 54 and: 58, 58 are upright tongues cut from the base at 55 and bent at 57 and 59 to form'one recess into which jaw B can fit and another recess between-base 50, ears 51, 52 and tongue 54 into which an end of a foot C can fit. I

Each foot C may be held in place by a nail-N driven through hole 53 or the fit may be so tight that no nailing is'necessary.

As shown, part 30 of each arm S is bent up at 60 and is bolted to tongue 54 and jaw B by a bolt 61 and nut 62. This bolt holds jaw B, jaw F and bracket D together and ears 51, 52 or nail N or both hold each'fo'ot C and'a bracket D together.

While I prefer-to use an angular groove like 20 in the fixed jaw cooperating with an angular projection in the movable jaw, I can modify the construction in several waysas shown-in Fig. 6 and in Fig. '7,

In Fig; 6, represents the spring. member which is substantially similar to S- of the movable jaw and 71 represents the member corresponding with F while 72 is a fixed jaw to which member '70 is faste'ned as by a screw 73, the fixed jaw having aprojection 74 inwhich is a curved recess '75 covered with felt '76 an'dwithwhich the curved edge "77 of member '71 is adapted to n a e. 1

As shown in Fig. 7, I can use a movable jaw with a spring member suchas 80' similar-to '70 and to S which is attached by means of a screw 83 to fixed jaw 82 which jaw has no projection corresponding with 22 and '74 but is flat and is faced with felt 86 or other similar friction material such as cork. The member 81 corresponds with member F and member "71, being pivoted or hinged to spring member 80, but instead of having an angular projection such as 35, it is fiat and is faced with felt 87 or other friction material such ascork,'the friction faces 86 and 87 being held normally together but being separated when tucking in the bedclothes. In Fig. 8, I show a bracket madeof one piece of wire which may be used in place of bracket D. 150 indicates the base from which sides formed as ears 151 and 152 are bent up and inward and from the back of which, jaws, which also serve as stop loops, 154 and 156- are bent upward. Between 150, 151, 152, 154 and 156, afoot such as-Qcan be held by frictional contact or by the elasticity of the ears 151, 152.

The material is again bent back at 155-, 157 and then up around at 158, 159 forming. back jaws which with 154= and 156 form a pocket to receive a fixed jaw such as D. Thewire is again bent down and back at 130, 132 up at 131, 133

and terminates in loops 134, 135 through which a staple such as 33 can be passed for fastening the movable friction jaw member in place.

As shown in Fig. 9, if desired, my device can be used on the side of a bed as well as at the foot.

I claim:

1. The combination with a bed including a mattressand a mattress support; of a fixed jaw which extends nearly the entire widthof an end of. the mattress, said jaw being formed of a board having an angular groove near its top at the outside and a recess below the groove; a plurality of fiat feet, each fixed at one end to the bottom of the fixed jaw and each extending between the mattress and its support; a movable jaw which engages the fixed jaw and includes a plurality of elastic supporting arms each attached to the bottom of the fixed jaw and each extending upward therefrom, and a holding bar pivoted to the top of said arms, said' holding bar having "an angular projection which engages 'the' angular groove in the fixed jaw and' having a projecting handle at each end, the parts being so'fdrmed and arranged that when the movable jaw-is disengaged from the fixed jaw, there will be suflicient space between the parts for the introductionof bed clothing between the jaws but when the jaws are engaged, the elastic supporting arms willbe under tension.-; r

2. The combination with a bed including a mattress and a mattress support; of'a fixed jaw which extends nearly the entire width of "an end of the mattress, said jaw having an angular groove near its top at the-outside; a pluralitypf flat feet, each fixed at one end to the bottom of the fixedjaw and each extending between the mattress and its support; a movable jaw which engages the fixed jaw and includesl a plurality of elastic supporting arms each attached to the bottom of the fixed jaw and each extending upward therefrom, an'd'a holding bar pivoted to the top of said, arms, said holdingbar having an angular projection which engages the angular groove in the fixed jaw,the partsbeing so formed and arranged that when the movable jaw is disengaged from the fixed jaw; there will be suilic'ient space between the parts for the introduction of bed clothing between the jaws but when the jaws are"'engag ed,-the elastic supporting arms will beundertension. n 3. The combination with a bed includinga mattress and a mattress support; er a fixed'jaw which extends nearly the entire width of an' end of the mattress; a. plurality of flat feetflieach fixed at oneend to the bottomof the fixed jaw and each extending between the'fmattress andits support; a movable jaw which engages the fixed jaw and includes a plurality of elastic supporting arms each attached'to the bottomfof the-fixed jaw and each extending upwardtherefromfand a holding bar pivoted to the top of said arms, the parts being so formed and arrangedthat when the movable jaw is disengaged from the fixed jaw, there will be sufilcient space between the parts for the jilfltIOdllCtiOn of bed clothing between the'jaws but when the jaws are engaged, the elastic supporting arms will be under tension; v 4. In a bedclothes'holder, the combination ofa vertical fixed jaw; with a plurality of; fiat -'feet,

each fixedat one endto the bottomof'theffixe'd jawand eachextending at a-rightfangle thereto a movable jaw which engages thefixed jaw and includes a plurality of elastic suppdrting'arms' each attached to the bottom of the 'fixedja'w and each extending upward therefrom and a holding bar pivoted to the top of said arms, the parts being so formed and arranged that when the movable jaw is disengaged from the fixed jaw, there will be sufiicient space between the parts for the introduction of bed clothing between the jaws but when the jaws are engaged, the elastic supporting arms will be under tension.

5. In a bedclothes holder, the combination of a vertical fixed jaw; with a plurality of fiat feet, each fixed at one end to the bottom of the fixed jaw and each extending on one side at a right angle thereto; a movable jaw which engages the fixed jaw at the top of the side opposite to the feet and includes a plurality of elastic supporting arms each attached to the fixed jaw and extending in spaced relation to the fixed jaw, which arms carry a holding bar pivoted to the top of said arms, the parts being so formed and arranged that when the movable jaw is disengaged from the fixed jaw, there will be sufficient space between the parts for the introduction of bed clothing between the jaws but when the jaws are engaged, the elastic supporting arms will be under tension.

6. In a bedclothes holder, the combination of a fixed jaw having an angular horizontal groove near its top at the outside; with a movable jaw which engages the fixed jaw and includes a plurality of elastic supporting arms each attached to the bottom of the fixed jaw and each extending upward therefrom; and a holding bar having an angular projection which engages said angular groove and which is hung to the top of said arms at points opposite said angular projection.

7. In abedclothes holder, the combination of a fixed jaw; with a movable jaw which engages the fixed jaw and includes a plurality of elastic supporting arms each attached to the bottom of the fixed jaw and each extending upward therefrom; and a holding bar which is hung to the top of said arms in position to engage the top of the fixed jaw.

IRVEN J. MATCHET'I. 

